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| He has made us competent as ministers of a new covenant—not of the letter but of the Spirit; for the letter kills, but the Spirit gives life. |
| —2 Corinthians 3:6 |
One of the great blessings of the Christian faith comes from the fact that God has made all of us priests. By this use of the word “priest” I intend to mean one who ministers to the world around him or her on behalf of the triune God—Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.
Yes, I am keenly aware that God has called certain individuals to dedicate their lives to accept a special calling from God to serve and lead others in their spiritual formation. Whether we call such individuals minister, pastor, preacher, priest, bishop, or even pope, we recognize that they have made a sacrificial response to God’s calling. Yet, such recognition does not dismiss the reality that all follwers of Jesus have a calling from God to minister to the needs of those around them because of what God has done for them through His Son, Jesus.
In writing to the Christians at Corinth, the Apostle Paul affirms that not only has God called believers to serve Him as His ministers, He has made believers competent to do so. “Wait a minute,” you may interject. “I’m not at all certaint that I am competent to minister in the way you suggest.“
Let me assure you that God has given you every talent and ability you need to serve Him. God wants you to approach your ministry with all of the essence of who you are. He wants you to serve as His minister. There are people who cross the pathway of your life each day to whom only you can properly minister. All elements of your uniqueness—your personality, your abilities, your skills, your mindset, every portion of who you are—are used by God to minister to others.
Do you think you are an oddball? Do you think you are not handsome enough or beautiful enough? Do you have a raspy voice or is your voice pitched too high or too low? Do you have some handicap? Do you feel you are not smart enough, or clever enough, or cool enough?
None of these things matter. God has called you to Himself. He has revealed the great gift of salvation that He has given you through His Son. He has placed the Holy Spirit within you. And, for His very good reasons, He has called you to minister in His behalf.
As we go out into a needy world today, we must keep in mind the fact that God has called us—exactly who we are and exactly as we are—to serve Him by ministering in His name. What a blessed, blessed privilege we have to do so with great joy.
